Our flight landed back home in Calgary Saturday at about 12:30 pm, after spending 6 really fabulous days in London, England. The flight was 9 hours, and my hope was to push through without sleeping until late evening to fight the jet lag - but I could only stay awake until around 6:30 pm. I was wide awake at 4:30 am Sunday, and have been waking up at 4 am each morning since. I still feel foggy...almost like I have tunnel vision. I think maybe the experiences of last week are still overcrowding my brain, and my wee pea of a mind doesn't have room for much else just yet.
By the time we landed the 3 of us were tired and fully worn out, since we were sightseeing and shopping every day as though our lives depended on it, cramming in as much as we could before having to head home again. It was a super trip and I saw more and learned more about London than I ever expected.
When we came to the UK to embark on the Duran Duran adventure we'd been discussing for about 5 years, it was all the while knowing about Simon LeBon's laryngitis and the shows that had been postponed to date; it was given that going to Cardiff to see the band perform may not be a possibility. Further to that, to make it more heart wrenching, we'd received emails from the Fan Club two days before our departure that SaintC and I had both been selected for the Meet and Greet, so had the show taken place, all 3 of us would have had the Duran experience in the UK we'd always dreamed of. We were thrilled about the win and hopeful, but didn't let ourselves get too excited.
And so it was on our first evening in London we got the news. We learned the entire roster of UK dates would be rescheduled. We took the approach that we had to be grateful for where we were and the opportunities of the week that lay ahead. We shrugged it off, in keeping with the phrase SaintC loves so much, "Keep Calm and Carry On". We cancelled our hotel in Cardiff and decided to make London and area our general stomping ground for the week.
And did we cover a lot of ground! It was, truly - a great education.. filled with beautiful structures, history, natural wonders and surprisingly, great weather. I couldn't imagine the privelege of spending every day in a city that is surrounded by and constructed of so many works of art.
I loved seeing the palaces, and the Abbey... London Eye was cool too. We took a tour to Windor Castle and Bath (probably the loveliest city I've ever laid eyes on) and also Stonehenge... now that was really impressive. I've seen pictures of Stonehenge in books and seen them on TV. But when you get there - and really see the landscape and space where these stones are located, surrounded by farmland, it really hits home that there is no earthly explanation as to how they ended up in that spot. It's quite uncanny.
One day Lady Elaine and I walked from Mayfair where we stayed, on through Hyde Park and towards Kensington Gardens, spent some time at the Princess Diana Memorial, made our way along the Flower Path to Kensington Palace, and wandered through the Enchanted art exhibition they had inside. The Prince Albert memorial was fantastic as well. Our last full day was spent at the Tower of London and visiting Trafalgar Square and Picadilly Circus. So fantastic. I took a lot of pictures and could have taken more, but I really enjoyed just walking around and taking it all in.
The shopping. Oh the shopping... Every possible indulgent item you could want is readily available. Let's just say I was blown away, as were the funds in my chequing account. But the crowds of people were overwhelming to me. I had been in New Delhi, India in 2005 and I felt it was worse in London. In the Primark store I was surprised to learn it was like a Boxing Day (for those south of the border - think Black Friday) feeding frenzy all the time. The one benefit of a crowd that size is to see every type of fashion being worn. I adored the UK styles, and tried to fit some new ideas into my wardrobe with my purchases.
So here I am, home again, with a giant pile of fantastic pictures in my camera and in my head, a mound of dirty laundry, and a duffel bag of new clothes that I have no room for in my closet. And the question remains about what to do when the UK shows are rescheduled. Our group of three have had a few discussions about the timelines suggested online so far, and whether it will be realistic for any of us to return to see the Cardiff show. If the Fan Club will uphold our meet and greet wins, I can't imagine not making the effort - but the costs involved combined with the lack of my available vacation time makes the prospect daunting. I also risk alienating my spouse with yet another holiday that doesn't include him, followed by alienating my employer and my fellow staffers ("What is that bitch making to allow her to travel the way she does?") But it seems inevitable. When push comes to shove...whenever we learn about a new show, a tour, any opportunity to see Duran Duran, we usually find a way to make it happen. The "you only live once" addage gets thrown out here and there.. along with "F**ck it, I'm going, and I'll deal with the fallout later."...and on and on.
While Simon's health remains in question there is a small part of me that would like the delay to be as long as possible, so I'll have a better chance of saving and planning to make the second trip. But I know that's not the right attitude to have in this case. For now I'll have to accept that what will be will be, and if the timing is right for us to get to Cardiff for what would surely be the Duran Duran event we've always wanted, then the music Gods will work their magic and we'll be there. And at the very least, I'll plan to come back to the UK someday, after enjoying it so much, and I can say with some confidence that Duran Duran or not, London will always be waiting.
That Girl
